Norway NCP Opens Telenor Dispute

Addressing governance standards in global telecommunications infrastructure, Norway's National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (NCP) has initiated a six-month mediation between Telenor ASA and 21 former Grameenphone personnel over alleged workplace violations.

The mediation decision was detailed in an official assessment released on Thursday, September 10, 2026. The independent body, backed by the Norwegian government, will oversee discussions regarding the telecom operator's 2012 workforce restructuring.

According to the official complaint, Grameenphone dismissed over 200 employees shortly after the Grameenphone Employees Union (GPEU) filed for formal registration on July 23, 2012. The union stated that high-ranking officials, including its president, vice-president, and communication secretary, were targeted under the guise of an organizational transformation and phased operational evaluations. Complainants asserted that affected staff were pressured into voluntary separation schemes under the risk of losing benefits. Although the Appellate Division declared the cases maintainable in 2023, the legal disputes remain pending in the Labour Court.

Holding a 55.8 percent controlling stake in Grameenphone, Telenor was accused by former staff of failing to exercise corporate due diligence under multinational standards. The NCP admitted claims regarding union-linked terminations, court delays, and access to remedy under OECD guidelines, while dismissing claims tied to the Workers’ Profit Participation Fund (WPPF) due to ongoing domestic litigation.

Telenor firmly rejected the allegations, arguing that the complaint should be dismissed. The company stated that the 2012 separations were technical operational shifts driven by evolving industry conditions, carried out transparently without formal knowledge of any pending union registration. Telenor highlighted that it does not manage individual corporate dismissals directly and emphasized its ongoing engagement with global labor organizations.

Adeeba Zerin Chowdhury, Communication Secretary of the Grameenphone Employees Union, welcomed the review, noting that local proceedings had led workers to approach the International Labour Organization in 2022. Grameenphone clarified that the NCP process facilitates structural communication and should not be viewed as an official determination of wrongdoing.
//DBTech/OC/SE/EIC//